2014 has started with a bang and a shake!

Earlier this week it was the Wairarapa that experienced their ‘own’ earthquake; 6.2! Thank you so much to everyone who emailed us asking how we faired during the earthquake.

At the moment of impact, I (home in Greytown) was on the phone with Frank (CSA farm in Masterton). He had just been checking out the garden with Antoinette (see photo) to plan the harvest for next week. It started shaking slowly at first, and we were relatively calm, but when the shakes became more violent we thought it better to hang up and duck for cover. The kids were already under the table clinging onto a table leg and by the time I wanted to join, it all stopped. Everything had stayed in place, no cracks or breaks! Pff.

So, we all faired well, albeit the dog was upset (howling through the shakes) and so were the chickens (cackling frantically) Egg production has slowed somewhat over these last few days and it makes me wonder!? I hope all of you out there in Palmerston North, the Wairarapa and wellington are fine too.

New systems

Last week we shook up the way of packing the CSA shares, with all orders packed individually and no more searching for the right combinations on the pick up end. It was a long day in the packing shed as we are completely turning the system upside down to change to this new and hopefully better way. I have heard back from only one CSA member who received the wrong order. Hopefully that was the one and only! We are looking forward to hear what you think of the new packing method. We hope it will make picking up on your end easier, uses less packing material, and leaves less room for mistakes. It also gives us the opportunity to personalise orders further if needed.

And of course, at the end of last year we became the owners (again) of the CSA. Please note that our bank account has changed to 01-0274-0432230-01 (for CSA Payments) and please make sure your next payment goes into the new account.

We, guinea pigs? Yes please!

The news is not over yet; tomorrow I will be talking to Will from Bucky Box, a software company/program for small growers/box systems. Will is keen to further develop the software to accommodate TRUE CSA set ups like ours. (up to now the software is mainly set up for one off weekly boxes). CSA’s are huge overseas and on the increase! (USA, Canada, Europe and Japan) and thus a great opportunity for Bucky Box to develop the software further and tap into this wonderful market. In New Zealand we are the one and only. So when they needed a guinea pig to experiment with, there we were!

We on the other hand are looking for anything that will help me, Josje, become less stressed (especially during school holidays when the kids need mummy time, when most of you go on holidays -of course all on different times and for different amount of weeks to keep me on my toes – and to increase the stress levels a little bit more, this time around we are going through a business change over during the hectic times! Aick, I am going crazy; I need help!

So, we found each other and are getting closer to a system that will work and (I hope) will be launched in the next few weeks.

In need of help, use a Kiwi diary!

As a present, and to keep on top of all my weekly appointments and daily duties (i.e write down when everyone is on holiday!!), I am getting myself a 2014 Kiwi diary made here in Wellington by our gifted friend Freda.

Freda writes” The Kiwi Diary 2014 is New Zealand’s only unique almanac of kiwi culture, and provides a platform for kiwi creativity in all its forms. With ample space to write and diarise your life, this is the perfect choice for people who need a diary, want to support homegrown creativity, and have a readable injection of goodness every day! There’s nothing like it – equal parts diary, cultural almanac, art gallery, poetry collection, recipe book, and intelligent magazine” .